United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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Crazy Man, Crazy. This 'freal gonew troupe of pint-sized song and dance men is celebrating the dedication of Bong III Chon Primary School, one of the 14 projects completed by the lst Marine Division under the Armed Forces Assistance to Korea Program. ice. In the valley below were located several thousand American personnel among whom were patients in two forward hospitals. Schools Interest in the education of the children of Korea was doubtless the concern of many from the beginning of the conflict but it was not until 1953 that the Marines appear to have been able to set up a con- structive program of action. It was during this period that M, Sgt. John T. Cain became so touched by the needs of the children for education that he determined to investigate the matter. After talking with oFHcials at a school near his air base he attempted to change military funds into Korean currency to spend for children's school expenses. Not only was he able to convince the paymaster to exchange his money, but he also enlisted a few other contributors. Thus he was able to have three boys and six girls enrolled that had not been in school since 1950. The tuition was S6 per year per child. The idea caught fire and Cain had to put some Marines on the waiting list until he had screened more children. The second month Cain flew 30 missions and yet worked at his investigations. He said, HI plan to put five or six more children back in school next week, as soon as I can sandwich in trips to the schools between Hightsf' Shortly thereafter he was shot down over North Korea and listed as missing in action. Lt. William P. Lane picked up the leader- ship of the project and the number of children being educated in this manner rose to 20. It was the hope A 2311 of Lieutenant Lane to add 100 more pupils to the program before Christmas. It was grand news when f'Big Switchu brought the return of Sergeant Cain to the Marines. The Marine program had so developed that in No- vember of 1954 members of the 1st Division Head- quarters and the 5th Marines joined villagers in dedicating four new schools. The projects had cost about 330,000 and would provide facilities for 3,742 students. These schools brought to 14 the number of AFAK projects completed in the division area. The new schools included three primary schools at Chug- won-ni, Bong Ill Chon, and Kumchon. The latter was the largest with 1,500 students. The fourth school was the most advanced institution of learning spon- sored in the division area up till that time. It was the Munsan-ni Agricultural High School. It may be assumed that many other schools were as- sisted directly or indirectly. Une such project was to help the Chosen Theological Seminary to reestab- lish itself in Seoul. Books for the library and other items were sought and given according to Chaplain Schroeluke. It is recognized that this chapter gives but a glimpse of what was done for Korean civilians. Only tim will tell how lasting and how valuable the work o the American servicemen has been. It is beyond con- tradiction that it can not help but have its impact not: only in Korea but throughout the Orient. America will fight for freedom, but America also will lend helping hand to those who suffer from the ravages o war.

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before.26 Chaplain Uber tells of good attendance from the 120 men attached to his unit. Chaplain Brosius tells us of Pak and Lee. It is presumed that it was the same man to whom Chaplain Capers made reference. The first mention of these two civilian la- borers was when they volunteered to leave North Ko- rea and embarked with the 1st Division from Hungnam in December 1951. Chaplain Brosius spotted Lee in his first service with the group be- cause of his beautiful baritone voice. He was used in the choir henceforth. Pak repaired an old smashed Japanese organ which he practiced upon assiduously. Both managed to be assigned to work in sick bay. Pak gave much of his life's blood for an American marine. In September 1951, during the battle for Hill 749, one of our men tripped off a Communist shoe box mine just a short distance from our battalion forward aid station. The enemy spotted the explosion, and began dropping mortar rounds into the general area. Without stopping to think twice of their personal safety, Pak and Lee grabbed a stretcher and ran through a mined area ahead of a corpsman. They began evacuating the marine, and in so doing Pak also set off a mine and was critically wounded. He lost a leg, was partially blinded and received many severe wounds in his efforts to assist one of our men. Lee remained with us as a faithful 20 In Ch. V of his book Wearing the Cross in Korea. assistant up until the time I left the lines. These two men were truly God's own, serving to the best of their ability where their duty called. Chaplain Felder obtained a series of phonograph records in the Korean language. These records in- clude hymns, scripture passages and sermons. As a result of these records several men volunteered to conduct further Korean services. As a result of these services, other Korean services were started in other units. Two of these units were C and DU Company of the lst Engineer Battalion. These were two outlying companies serving the in- fantry regiments on the lines. These services brought about a better understanding between the Koreans and the American servicemen as was evidenced in their contacts with one another. On Christmas at Midnight 1951 the Koreans worshipped at the midnight services with American personnel. At the conclusion of the midnight services practically all personnel in attendance walked to the side of a mountain where a public address system had been rigged previously. From here the Ameri- cans and Koreans sang Christmas carols together. They sang carols alternately, that is the Americans would sing one in English and the Koreans one in their native tongue. A solo was sung by a Marine major and a solo sung by a Korean Christian. A truly inspirational Christmas Serv- Final Tribute for a Korean. Taps is sounded at a funeral service conducted by Chaplain joseph Gallagher for a member of the Korean Service Corps who was killed in action while carrying supplies to frontline infantrymen of the 1st Marine Division. - 233 - .-N A '

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V EPILOGUE Rcdeployment In a sense the Korean situation is still an active one. The MLR is quiet. There are few UN or American troops there. After 27 July 1954 the military con- tinued the relief program. Gradually the troops were relieved by fresh replacements. During the early part of March 1955 the redeployrnent of the 1st Marine Division to Camp Pendleton began. Gen. John E. Hull, UN Far Eastern Commander, paid tribute to the Division on the 3d saying, 'gYou have added a new chapter to the already proud history of the Corps and it is with a sense of regret that the United Nations Command and the Far East Command mark your departure from this theater of operations after four and one-half years in Koreaf, Special Emblem The preceding November a special ceremony was held in Washington by Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps, in which the first of the new emblems, authorized for the service rib- bons of naval personnel who have had combat with the Marines, was awarded. Among the Hrst three men to receive the emblem was Chaplain John H. Craven Operation Glory The ceremony held on 20 January 1956 associated with the removal of the Hrst 50 of approximately 850 bodies of unknown servicemen to their final resting place in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pa- cific in Honolulu began what was termed Operation Glory. The impressive ceremony was held alongside the MANCHESTER and honored all the unknown who had fallen on the Held of battle on Korean soil. General Lemnitzer, CinC of the Far East and UN Commands, paid tribute to the Korean dead saying, Their sacrifice has given reality, meaning and pur- pose to the guarantees inscribed in the United Nations charter that all peopleslof all nations . . . may live securely in dignity, in freedom, and in justice. Summary No adequate summary will ever be written of the work of the naval chaplains in Korea. Their contri- bution may be considered as dual in nature for they M gave unstintingly to their military personnel but also found time to heed the cry for help from a civilian population. The courage displayed on the battlefield by the chaplains as they ministered to the spiritual needs of their men will go down in history as one of the greatest epics in the existence of the Corps. Almost without exception the Marine Corps recognized this in the awards which they gave to the chaplains concerned. Their extraordinary devotion to their men and tire- less work among the wounded, their ceaseless visita- tion on the front in the face of incoming shells were noted as in the highest tradition of the naval servicev but they also came to be so universal that they were expected of every chaplain as normal procedure. The Marines had increased the number of chap- lains in a Division after World War II which was tacit recognition of the value of having chaplains with their units. Now with this display of sacrificial service the chaplains were not hampered by collateral duties. They were working day and night at their own ap- pointed tasks. Daily worship services in the bunkers, administration of communion, holding confessions, praying for and with the wounded or dying completely eclipsed lesser things. These and many more activities endeared the chaplains to the fighting men. The last- ing infiuence of these representatives of God upon the men as they make their contribution to American life may be incalculable, but it cannot help but be great. Certainly in the Chaplain Corps a standard has been set that will be hardito maintain and certainly will be extremely difficult to excel. It is only hoped that chaplains in the future, if they have to serve on the field of battle, will measure up as well as have these in Korea. Not all the battles were on the main line of re- sistance. As one chaplain puts it Many chaplains fought a desperate battle against the im- moral influences that would destroy the moral fibre of the young men who served tours of duty in the Far East. These chapters of heroic Christian effort cannot be written but the results of these battles have saved many a sailor or marine from disgrace and shame. It is expected that in a subsequent volume of the history the development of the Moral Leadership